No Sunspots Today!

[cloudsweeper]

I went out this morning to have a short look at the Sun through a Baader Filter, and to experiment with different levels of blocking from a variable Moon filter.

Found the Sun quite quickly - the usual (yet awesome) white disc, with shimmering edges.  

On previous occasions, I've always noticed sunspots, but not this time, so I thought there was something wrong about my set-up or focusing - I was using the 120 frac for a change.  But No!  According to spaceweather.com:

SUNSPOTS VANISHING, AGAIN: For the second time this month, the solar disk is blank--no sunspots. This image of the sun taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on June23rd shows zero dark cores:  (Blank yellow disc shown.)

So all's well then.  

One interesting thing I did note with using the frac - not only was there CA, but it manifested around the periphery as the main spectral colours, going clockwise (in the 'scope) from R to V.

Doug.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The disk is indeed blank in white light at the moment. It may pick up any time soon, of course. The ST120 is well-known for its CA. Great scope for wide-field, less so on most solar system targets. A Solar Continuum filter should remove the CA, however, and generally make the sun much crisper

[xtreemchaos]

 i dont notice much Ca with my st120 but i do use a solar wedge with a ND moon filter, now i get quite a bit with the moon and bright stars other than sol. yer blank again. charl.

[baggywrinkle]

I am attending an event for solar observing on Sunday as it is International SUNday...hope there's some spots by then. being pessimistic it'll be cloudy anyway.....

solarastronomy.org/sunday.html

[cloudsweeper]

I don't intend to go very far down the solar path, but wouldn't mind at least seeing some granulation.

I can't justify the cost of a wedge, so I'm limited to the Baader filter.

I gather that Ha and solar continuum filters are used in conjunction with the main Baader (or indeed with a wedge), so what's the difference in terms of bandwidths, and what they each reveal?

Thanks,

Doug.

[xtreemchaos]

ive just realised Doug, i dont get Ca with sol because i shoot in mono "daft me", i dont have both of those filters mate but ive hear the continuum filters are good for granulation. charl

[laudropb]

The Continuum filter helps with contrast and with a Baader filter I do get views of the granulation with my ST 102 when the seeing is decent. Better views with my Herchel wedge mind you.

[Size9Hex]

Doug, I use an Oiii filter to sharpen up views of the sun in my ST102. It kills the CA completely and helps bring out the more subtle elements like granulation although in my limited experience granulation is more a factor of the sky conditions than using the filter. I'll emphasise it's not safe to use an Oiii on its own - you need a solar filter or wedge too. Oiii isn't built for solar but it does work nicely and might be something you have already so it's "free" so to speak.

[paulastro]

On ‎23‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 14:08, baggywrinkle said:

I am attending an event for solar observing on Sunday as it is International SUNday...hope there's some spots by then. being pessimistic it'll be cloudy anyway.....

solarastronomy.org/sunday.html

Me too, I'm going to the event at The Astronomy Centre near Todmorden.

[Gazabone]

We're heading towards solar minimum so we can expect to see fewer and fewer sunspots, days and possibly weeks will pass without any. It will pick up again?  In the meantime there still seems to be some interesting Ha stuff going on. ??